Applications of Piaget and Vygostsky’s cognitive developmental theories in a practical classroom environment
Piaget and Vygotsky have antonymous beliefs when dealing with the concepts of cognitive development. Vygotsky believes in development through social behaviour whilst Piaget believes in individuals acquiring knowledge on their own. Both however, believe that the interaction between development and learning hold significant implications for a child’s growth. This essay discusses some of the philosophical beliefs of each theorist in regards to a scenario based in the classroom of a year five teacher named Ann. Ann reinforces classroom lessons through the outdoor environment, exemplifying Piaget’s theories of constructivist based learning as well as teaching methods that cater to the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. Ann also displays Vygotsky’s cognitive theory involving the zone of proximal development and peer to peer or teacher-peer scaffolding within a group environment. The essay will examine Ann’s teaching methods and how they relate to these cognitive developmental theories.
Ann’s socially-constructive pedagogical approach as described by Howell (2012) will help children build their knowledge base through collaborative learning as well as independent work, known as scaffolding. Ann would apply the technique of scaffolding by providing assistance and offering feedback relating to new information (Woolfolk, 2004). Vygotsky (1978) put forward a theory in which one only develops as one participates in various forms of social activities, opposed to Piaget who believed in a theory where the individual constructs his or her knowledge on their own (Bruner, 1997). ‘Cooperative learning’ is a concept developed by Vygotsky in which he suggested that through peer to peer and teacher to peer learning or scaffolding, social interaction and peer